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Having just a little but right knowledge about Blackjack strategy can dramatically increase the chances of your success at the game. You might have read many a times that blackjack is a lot about mathematical equations, along with permutations and combinations and there would be many people (just like me), who would hate to play it if it sounded that techi. But actually, the idea behind it is to be a little bit logical & apply your mind in the right direction while at the game, and what gives you a right direction, is a right blackjack strategy, of course.

A magnificent blackjack gaming strategy works when a mix of different aspects of the game are kept in mind like,

• Making sure that your odds of winning are at their highest

• Keeping yourself at a favorable position while playing against the house

• Card Counting

• Managing your finances etc

The basic Blackjack strategies were developed and refined by Professor Edward O, in the year 1962.The basic strategy sounds quite simple and is based upon player’s total card count, against the dealer’s visible card. For varied card combinations in the game, different blackjack strategies are applied. A blackjack strategy does not guarantee your win at the game but it certainly increases your chances of winning. Following a strategy aids you in taking the right move, based on the current cards that you are holding as compared to the dealer’s hand

When your cards total is more than the dealer’s, that’s the time to double your bet. Hitting at this point is the most effective decision to increase your odds, in case you do not have enough money to double your wager. If worked out at the right time, this Blackjack strategy works wonder.

For a more detailed understanding about the strategy, I would recommend you to visit Online blackjack articles section at Cool Cat Online Casino. Here you would find a lot of blackjack related articles right from basics to card counting, Rules, Blackjack essentials and a lot more.

Gambling was not my cup of tea for a long time. Each time I would hit a casino game, be it slots, roulette, or blackjack, I would never win a significant amount of money that I could brag of. But only until now!

Blackjack has been my all time favorite. I like this game so much that I would spend all my bankroll on blackjack, hoping to turn the tables and be a millionaire in one night. That has not happened yet. But I must say something good has happened to me after I have learned how to “cheat” at blackjack. I have started to win more and lose less.

The cheating in question is not really a cheating at all. It’s more of an advantage play. I use the technique called blackjack basic strategy. This technique is very popular among blackjack players the world over. To use it, you need to take a look at a chart. Once you’re dealt a hand, compare your hand total with the dealer’s up card and then take the action suggested on the chart. As simple as that. No complex methods to learn. No quick calculations whatsoever.

Most blackjack players get confused when it comes to take an action such as hit, split, double, or stand. These confusing actions are clearly mentioned on the blackjack basic strategy chart. One more thing, these actions are based on the actions taken by millions of players over many years. So, be sure that nobody cooked the blackjack basic strategy overnight or so.

A golden rule as accepted by a large number of blackjack players suggests you to hit if your hand total is less than 17, and stand otherwise. Never forget to double your bet if your hand total is 10 or 11. Your chances of getting a 20 or 21 are very high then.

But like many other gambling games, luck plays a major role in blackjack too. Even the blackjack basic strategy can fail. It has happened to me as well. But my gambling log shows me that I have won more money than I have lost over recent months. And all that has happened because I use the strategy, or rather “cheat” at blackjack.

Give the cheating a try. You never know when the things will turn in your favor. All the best!

This quiz is designed for Blackjack newbies who are struggling to learn to play Blackjack. But seasoned
players will also find it very refreshing for their skills. Here goes:

Welcome to this short Blackjack quiz everybody. This quiz is not intended to rate you on your knowledge of
Blackjack. Rather, it is designed to help you learn to play Blackjack effectively. This quiz is based on the Blackjack basic strategy, but is different from other quizzes because it not only tells you “what to do” but also tells you “why to do so.”

Q1: What would you do if you are dealt a pair of 9s, and the dealer’s up card is a 9?

(a) Stand  (b) Hit  (c) Double  (d) Split

Ans: The correct answer is (d) Split.
Though 18 is pretty close to 21, your chances of winning are 41% and the chances of losing are 59%. Furthermore, when you split, you have two hands with 9 as the first card. Your chances of winning increase
to 47% and the chances of losing  decreases to 53%. So, it’s preferred that you split your pair.

Q2: Your hand total is 15 and the dealer is showing a 7, 8, or 9, what should you do?

(a) Stand  (b) Hit  (c) Double  (d)Split

Ans: The correct answer is (b) Hit.
According to basic Blackjack strategy, you should hit if the dealer shows a 7, 8, or 9. But if the dealer shows a 10 value card, you should go for a split, if allowed, otherwise hit.

Q3: The dealer is showing a 7 and your hand contains a 10 and a 6. What would you better do?

(a) Stand  (b) Hit  (c) Double  (d) Split

Ans: The correct answer is (b) Hit. Blackjack players usually follow this unwritten rule: hit if your
hand total is 16 or less,  otherwise stand.

Q4: Your hand contains a 10 and 2 and dealer shows a 2. What do you think is the correct action to follow?

(a) Stand  (b) Hit  (c) Double  (d) Split

Ans: The option (b) Hit is the right choice. Your chances of getting busted are quite less. Only a 10
value card will lead to a bust.  Any other card of lower value is favorable. You can get 21 or a hand closest to 21. So you should draw or Hit another card. Remember, if the dealer’s card is higher than 3,
you should stand and not hit with a hand total of 12.

Q5: You hold two Kings, or any two 10 value cards. The dealer has an Ace and asks you for an insurance. Would you go for it?

(a) Yes (b) No

Ans: The correct answer is (b) No. Insurance does seem like a good choice but it is not. Even if your
cards are different, you should not go for insurance. Insurance pays 2 to 1 on your insurance bet  if the dealer indeed comes up with a Blackjack. But if the dealer fails to come up with a Blackjack, you lose your insurance bet. If you look at it from another angle, you see that if you win the insurance bet, you are bound to lose you other bet because the dealer’s Blackjack will eventually beat your hand. So you only break even.  Also, just because the dealer’s up card is an Ace does not mean the dealer will come up with a
Blackjack.

Q6: Imagine that you are holding a pair of 10s. The dealer’s visible card is also a 10. What action should you take?

(a) Stand  (b) Hit  (c) Double  (d)Split

Ans: The correct answer is (a) Stand. Regardless of the dealer’s up card, always stand. To cut a long joke short, a man at a Blackjack table asked a woman standing next to him, “What is the perfect time to split 10s?” The woman replied,  “When you want to vacate your seat.”  Jokes apart, 20 is a pretty good hand. The only hand that can beat a 20 is 21 or a Blackjack. So, you had better stand and hope for a win.

Q7: You are dealt a pair of 5s and the dealer is showing a 6. What is a good action to follow?

(a) Stand  (b) Hit  (c) Double  (d) Split

Ans: Option (c) Double is the right answer. Just pretend that you are dealt a 10. The highest card that
you can get is 10 or an Ace. In both these cases, your hand will total 20 or 21. Your chances of getting “too many” is next to impossible. So, you should double down and take a chance to win a relatively bigger amount.

Q8: You are dealt a hand that contains an Ace and 7, the dealer is showing a 5. What should you go for?

(a) Stand  (b) Hit  (c) Double  (d)Split

Ans: You get full marks if you say (c) Double. The figure 18 is quite close to 21 but the statistics say
that you can make 10% more money in the long run by doubling down each time on a set of Ace and 7, if you consider it a soft hand (where Ace is equal to 11). Besides, the dealer has more chances of getting “too many” with a 5, as he cannot opt to stand, until he hits 17 as per rule s in most casinos.

Well that’s the end of the quiz. You are not going to get any grades for your performance though. The
purpose of the quiz is to make you aware of the possible actions that you can take in different situations. Now you can go ahead and apply your knowledge learned through this quiz on a fresh game of Blackjack. Play Blackjack online for some time and see for yourself how helpful the quiz really is.

Gambling should be fun, though you can not separate the risk of losing from gambling. Even Webster defines gambling as “to stake something on a contingency; take a chance.” Tips can prove to be invaluable, not only to navigate your way through this maze of games, but to win too. But only if you know how to interpret and apply them. This is especially true of online gambling, where a new player is flooded with information, which he may not know how to use.

When I started playing Blackjack, I was amazed to find the Internet full of information on the game. There were sites devoted only to the game, with several tips and strategies. I decided I had all I wanted to make it as a successful Blackjack gambler. I had found a basic strategy card and thought I followed it to the letter, expecting to win. I was very disappointed when I lost –not once, not twice but all through the day! I continued thinking that a win should happen at the end, making up for all my losses. But I was sadly mistaken.

That was when I surfed some more and found other Blackjack players in some chat rooms, forums and networking sites. It was only on interaction with them that I discovered that I was a victim of what is widely known as “Gambler’s Fallacy.” I was waiting for a winning hand, on the mistaken notion that it would follow many losing hands in a row. I had misread the strategy card too. One of the players gave me a tip: “Always Stand if your hand total is more than 17.” It was only then that the truth hit me. Of course, if I ‘hit’ and drew another card, I may bust! I felt foolish. I looked at the basic strategy card with new eyes, realizing only then that I should co-relate the Dealer’s hand with my own!

When playing online –especially a game like Blackjack—the lack of interaction turns many a player into a zombie, following tips and strategies without using logic. Let that not happen to you.

It was a Friday night. Rebecca found a play-for-money Blackjack table at the casino. Having played free casino games before, she did not realize that she had to put her money on the Blackjack table to convert it into chips. When she saw another player do it, she followed suit. When there was no response, she demanded, “Where are my chips?” Now, any Blackjack player knows that the dealer will not change your money until the current round is complete. But she had not learnt this at the free casino games.

She called out to the waitress for a drink and earned a nasty look from the dealer. Players normally request the dealer to summon the waitress. Reaching for her drink, she splashed it on the Blackjack table. Obviously, playing at free casino games had not taught her Blackjack decorum.

She started playing, placed her bet and told other players of her winnings at the free casino games. Whistling, she fiddled with her chips as she often did at the free casino games. Immediately, the floor worker sidled up to her and said, “You cannot do that.” Meddling with chips is suspect and talking aloud is bad etiquette in both money and free casino games.

Upset, Rebecca drew her hand into her lap and was ticked off for hiding her cards. Sacrificing her wager, she left praising the relaxed approach in free casino games. Blackjack propriety should be followed even at the free casino games…but not all players of free casino games do.

Blackjack –be it at the paid or free casino games table– even has a signaling etiquette that differs for face- down and face-up games.

In face- down Blackjack, you scrape the table lightly with you cards towards yourself to ‘hit.’ But in face-up Blackjack you point an index finger to your card.

In face-down, you ‘stand’ by sliding the cards under the chips in the betting box. In face-up Blackjack you wave your hand parallel to the table, palm down.

The dealer turns your card over before you opt for double or split in face-up Blackjack, whereas you do it yourself in face-down Blackjack.

These rules apply to free casino games, but players of free casino games tend to ignore them.
If you win a lot, tip the dealer by placing a bet on his behalf. Betcha, you’ll never learn this at free casino games!